The present invention is related generally to the art of knot tying, and more particularly to an improved multipurpose cinch cleat and method of securing a line thereto for unidirectional or bidirectional cinching of the line.
Anchoring devices or cleats have long since been commonly used in connection with many industrial and domestic applications to help secure cargo and the like in a desired fixed position so as to prevent movement thereof. Traditionally, a variety of cinching lines, such as ropes, straps, and elastic cords have been utilized with such cleats to secure the load in place. In more recent years, however, a variety of more sophisticated devices, such as cam buckle straps and ratchet straps have been developed for use in connection with such cleats to help aid in securing the load. While such devices have proved to be effective cinching devices, they suffer from the disadvantages of being more complicated to manufacture and operate, more expensive, and more bulky and difficult to store when not in use. For this reason, more conventional and less expensive cinching lines, such as rope, continue to be widely used for purposes of securing cargo and other loads.
There are a number of disadvantages, however, incident to the use of the more conventional cleats and cinching lines. For instance, oftentimes such cleats are designed in the form of an eyebolt having a central opening through which one end of the cinching line must be threaded to facilitate tying of a knot or otherwise securing the same thereto. This generally requires the cinching line to be cut to a predetermined length, so as to avoid unnecessary continuous threating of long lengths of line through the eyebolt. Thus, one is faced with either cutting the line to length and limiting its potential reuse on larger cargo, or persisting with the cumbersome and undesirable task of having to thread long lengths of line through the eyebolt of the cleat before passing the line to another cleat.
Other known cleats do not use an eyebolt configuration, but rather provide an anchoring device having outwardly extending arms to which a cinching line may be tied or otherwise secured in place. Such cleats are typically designed only to accommodate a single cinch line or knot, and any additional lines tied to the same cleat generally requires stacking of one knot on top of another. Such commingling of knots on a single cleat makes it extremely difficult to access and adjust the lower knots, when necessary. Moreover, the type of knots generally used in connection with such cleats are fixed knots which do not readily accommodate adjustment once affixed to the cleat. All of the foregoing problems cause substantial frustration when, as oftentimes happens, the cargo or load being secured will shift causing undesirable slack in the cinching lines, and the consequent need to untie or loosen such fixed knots in order to tighten the line.
For all of the foregoing reasons, it is apparent that there is a distinct need for an improved cinch cleat which can be economically manufactured and utilized with conventional, less expensive, cinching lines, and which will accommodate cinching of a line at any intermediate position along the length thereof, thus avoiding the undesirable task of threading long lengths of line through the cleat, or the need to cut the same into multiple shorter lengths. Moreover, it is also apparent that it would be desirable to tie a cinching knot to such a cleat which is readily adjustable, so as to take up slack in the line as necessary, and avoid undesirable dislodgment of the cargo or other load being secured. It is with these objectives in mind that I have developed my improved cinch cleat and method of cinching a line thereto, which provides the above benefits, and can be efficiently and inexpensively produced in a single or multiple cleat form so as to avoid undesirable stacking of multiple knots on a single cleat.
In accordance with the present invention, I have developed an improved multipurpose cinch cleat and method of securing a line thereto with maximum simplicity, to prevent longitudinal movement of the line relative to the cleat in one direction, or if desired, in both directions. The cleat may be produced with single or multiple cinch points, and is characterized by an elongated support member having at least one cantilevered post with a terminating free end extending outwardly therefrom in non-aligned relation thereto. The elongated support member carrying the post is fixedly mounted upon a supporting surface, with the support and post being spaced from the supporting surface so as to allow sufficient room for the line to pass therebetween. Preferably, the support and post are sufficiently spaced from the supporting surface such that the distance between the terminating end of the post and the supporting surface is at least as great as a minimum cross-sectional dimension of the cinching line being used. While the general shape and configuration of my improved cleat may take many forms, in the preferred form of my invention, the support member and post have a generally circular cross section, and the opposite ends of the support member extend outwardly therefrom in a manner as to be fixedly mounted to a supporting surface.
With the cinch cleat so constructed, there is no need to cut the cinch line into shorter specific lengths, as securing any one or more items in place can be accomplished with a single continuous length of line. In the manner as taught by the present invention, securing such a line to my improved cinch cleat includes forming a bend in the line and passing the bent portion of the line between the terminating end of the post and the supporting surface. The line is then passed around the post such that the intrados surface of the bent line engages the back side of the post. By passing the line in this manner, opposing right and left-hand line segments are formed which extend outwardly from opposite sides of the post.
Completing a unidirectional cinch knot depends upon which line segment is to be utilized to secure the cargo or load. By way of example, assuming the right-hand segment is to be used to secure the load, the right-hand segment is then passed toward and around the support, and then around the front side of the post. By passing the right-hand segment in this manner, it passes back over the line itself at the juncture of the support and post, and wedges the line against support and post. Thus, the right-hand segment effectively becomes a tension line under load, and restricts outward longitudinal movement of the line in that direction. The left-hand segment, however, effectively becomes a take-up line which, when pulled, allows free longitudinal movement of the line to take up slack in the right-hand segment for tightening same. Thus, with the right-hand segment securing the load, it may be effectively tightened by simply pulling on the left-hand segment to increase tension therein and further restrict outward longitudinal line movement.
In a similar manner, should the left-hand segment be used to secure a load, passing the left-hand segment toward and around the support, and then around the bent side of the post will similarly cause such segment to pinch the line against the juncture of the support and post so as to restrict outward longitudinal movement thereof. In this embodiment, the left-hand segment effectively becomes the tension line under load, and the right-hand segment becomes the take-up line which, when pulled, allows free longitudinal movement to take up slack in the left-hand segment for tightening same.
Notably, the line segment being passed toward and around the support member may do so on either side of the post, and still function adequately as a tension line. If passed on one side, it will simply cross over itself before passing around the front side of the post, and if passed on the other side, it will cross over the other line segment before passing around the front side of the post. In either case, the line segment being passed will function as a tension line restricting outward longitudinal line movement. In the preferred embodiment, however, it is contemplated that the segment being passed will first cross over the opposite segment prior to being passed around the front side of the post.
Should it be desired to form a bidirectional cinch knot, where both left and right-hand line segments form a tension line incapable of longitudinal outward movement, both segments may be passed toward and around the support member and then around the front side of the post, effectively causing both line segments to wedge the line against the support and post, thereby restricting movement in either direction. In tying this knot, the order in which each segment is passed does not matter.
In an alternative embodiment of my invention, my improved cinch cleat may carry multiple posts so as to allow the user to tie multiple knots to the same cleat without stacking or otherwise commingling the knots at a single location. By spacing the posts longitudinally along the support member, each post defines a separate cinch point at which one of the above described knots may be tied, thus separating adjacent knots for independent adjustment, as needed. In one particular embodiment, it is conceivable that a cinch line may be tied to a pair of adjacently spaced posts on the same cleat, such that the segment of line extending between the adjacent posts constitutes the take-up line for both knots, thereby effectively creating a xe2x80x9ctake-up loopxe2x80x9d between the adjacent posts for adjusting the tension of the remaining line segments, which are used to secure the load.
As can be seen from the above, there are numerous applications for which my improved multipurpose cinch cleat and securing method may be used. No longer is it necessary to thread long continuums of line through eyelets as with traditional cleats, or stack multiple knots on a single cleat, making it difficult to access the same. By cinching a line to my improved cleat in the manner described above, all of the stated problems and frustrations incident to the use of traditional cleats may be avoided. In addition to the above, the construction of my improved cinch cleat is extremely simple, as it constitutes a one-piece design that ensures durability and longevity of the cleat, and has the functional capability, if desired, of multiple conventional cleats. Thus, many anchor points are effectively provided with fewer cleat mounting points, thereby requiring fewer mounting holes and less installation time.